Iowa’s attorney general has filed a lawsuit against a Washington state fiberglass recycling company and its executives over alleged violations of the state’s solid waste laws.

The lawsuit was filed in Iowa district court for Jasper County and it accuses the company, Global Fiberglass Solutions (GFS), of improperly disposing of retired wind turbine blades in the state over the past seven years. The complaint explains that instead of properly recycling the massive blades, GFS stockpiled the turbine blades in various locations throughout Iowa. Named in the complaint are GFS and its CEO Donald Lily. One of the company’s corporate officers, Ronald Albrecht, is also named in the lawsuit.

The company was hired on by General Electric and Mid-American Energy to properly decommission the wind turbine blades. GFS has grown to be a recognizable name in the industry. It prides itself on offering the first-of-its-kind recycling service for fiberglass materials, as is found with wind turbine blades.

General Electric provides parts and equipment for the decommissioned wind turbines in Iowa and other states while Mid-American Energy is the owner of the Iowa turbines. The lawsuit details that both companies paid GFS millions of dollars to have the blades properly recycled. Recycling often involves transporting, grinding, and ultimately recycling the debris of the decommissioned parts.

Wind turbine blades, which have to be decommissioned and replaced every 10 to 20 years, are notorious for their composition and difficulty in recycling or repurposing. Measuring 170 ft long and weighing roughly 16 tons, taking the blades down, transporting them, and ultimately recycling them is a feat that is still in the process of being perfected.

Companies like GFS have developed a method in which they cut down the blades into coin-size pieces for recycling to be used in cement making and other resources. Other companies have repurposed the blades to create public infrastructure like fencing and even playgrounds.

However, Iowa says that the GFS failed to properly recycle as they agreed to and instead dumped over 1,300 blades in four locations throughout the state: Atlantic, Newton, Ellsworth, and Fort Dodge. The lawsuit details that at one point 868 blades were dumped at an abandoned parking lot for the old Maytag factory in Newton. Another 400 blades were allegedly dumped in a field in Ellsworth.

The complaint details that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) began fielding complaints about the improper disposal in 2018. In December 2020, GFS agreed to a consent letter that ordered the company to “take a number of concrete steps to purchase, install, and commence using recycling equipment.” Deadlines were set for the company to process a defined percentage of blades. GFS also agreed to put up a $2 million bond in case the DNR had to remove and properly dispose of the blades if GFS did not comply with the deadline. Both parties went on to extend the deadline for GFS to put up the bond. Despite this, GFS never put up the bond and failed to comply with an order from the DNR to stop receiving the wind turbine blades in Iowa. The DNR would go on to file a complaint with the state's attorney general’s office to start the legal proceeding.

In filing the lawsuit, the state’s Attorney General Brenna Bird shared, “GFS failed to do its job, and instead, dumped and abandoned 1,300 decommissioned wind turbine blades in stockpiles across the state.” Attorney General Bird adds, “Despite efforts from my office and the DNR, GFS refused cleanup, allowing these blades to pose an environmental risk. We are taking action to hold them accountable.”

The lawsuit is seeking civil penalties and an injunction to keep the company from violating any more of the state's solid waste laws.